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‘The YANKEE PHILOSOPHER, No. f.
DUELL I N 0.
LIFE is not given, bat lent ns, by Providence, to an
swer some important purpose beyond thfc'comprehtn
sion of finite beings* Nevertheless, not regardless of _ou f
happiness in this life, the Eternal God has placed suffici
ent materials within our reach, and judgment TO mould i
them to o\ir own advantage; not that the passions of our
nature do not sometimes seize the reins of our understand
ing, and, like Phaeton, envelop our whole system in a*
conflagration o<f absurdity, no. When the bridle of our pas- •
sitmS is suffered to be relaxed it is in vain to stop their ca
reer; judgment has no hold, and reason soon is left far out
of sight. But, behold the moment arrives when, fatigued ,
and worried with their impetuosity, the passions slacken
their pace, while the regular march of reason overtakes
them hy surprise This is the moment-—-the least exertion
must conquer, and, when once vanquished, we need not
inspiration ever after to lead them wheresoever we please.
This interval must always go between the birth of an of
fence and its last fatal consequence in a duel. The pas
sions of the moment might countenance immediate revenge,,
were there not laws to the contrary; but the time neces
sarily employed in preparations for an honorable satisfac
tion, the solemn ctnd sacred duties then to be performed,
must so effectually check this momentaty impulse, that
the greatest possible insult which can be offered the manes
of a departed Friend is,-that u he bravely died in a duel,
his honor was at stake, and he nobly fell.” Honor denies
his acquaintance; her proper character is the grand spring
of our moral conduct; she impels to worthy aCtiofts, and
points to the path of virtue; she is never found in the
councils of rebellion, nor in the seats of the ungodly; she
disdains evil communications and the pleadings of passion;
reason ever directs her course, and happiness is her wages.
In disputes it’ is impossible that the parties should be e
qually culpable or equally injured; if they are, there is no
necessity for fighting, for their account is already balanc
ed; if they are not, the method of decision is unjust and
unequitable; the party injured must stake equally with his
oppressor, and chance alone can determine the game. Ho
micide is a crime against nature; yet is tjie crime less in
the eyes of his Creator, that the creature deliberately seize
the first favorable opportunity, and secretly murder the
man who has injured him, than, in the attempt of shoot
ing him in a duel, to risk his own life also; for here he is
guilty both of suicide and of the murder of another fellow
being. Whether the two lives are actually taken or not
the crime is the safne, for it was a reciprocal determination
in each that the other should die, and an unsuccessful at
tempt in a bad cause is as criminal as though it were fully
accomplished. But society, say the duellists, has estab
lished the necessity of fighting, in order to preserve our
honor; here again comes the fantastical term honor, and,
as I have already given a definition of honor in its proper
sense, I shall now define this honor so >uch talked of by
duellists; it is a passion for revenge, engendered by Fren
zy, in the absence of Reflection, Whose sire is Obstinacy;
it has neither eyes nor ears, but a most vociferous voice;
is continually talking Vo itself without understanding its
own ideas; it flies through the brain with such perambul
ating rapidity as utterly to confound every rational idea
that chance may have lodged there; as often mistakes its
greatest friend for its bitterest enemy, and always carries
a phial of cankered disappointment about it, which, if un
successful in its revenge, it swallows to its own destructi
on. This is the hag who murders whole families at a
Single stroke, widows the happy wife, and plunges her
children in despair; this is the monster who wars against
Heaven, and breaks the civil compact of every country;
this is the murderer, who sheds the blood of thousands for
a whistle that sounded louder than her own; this is the
duellists FAME, and Heaven grant them peace with it,
if possible.—-Amen.
A YANKEE PHILOSOPHER.
ON Wednesday the ffcond anniversary of the admirable
Institution of the Naval Alylum was held *t the
London tavern.
Lord Belgrave, the chairman, in a very impreflive
speech, addrefled the governors and company, confiding
of about tdo persons, ambngfl whom were admiral fir
Hyde Parker, lord Nelson, fir Sydney Smith, fir William
Hamilton, aldermen Curtis, Flower, See . &c
After lord Nelson’s health was drank his lordship fed*
dressed the meeting, thanked them for the honor they had
done him, “but more particularly for their attention to the
orphans of those brave men who had died in the service of
their it was an institution that could not fail, tor
it mud be grateful to the Deity, who would bless and pro
ffer so charitable, so laudable an undertaking, as providing
an afvlumfor such little helplds orphans as now appeared.
He allured the society of his warmed support and good
willies.—Sir Hyde Parker also gave the fulled assurance of
his bed willies for lb admirable an in dilution.-—Sir Sydney
Smith, after his health was drank with the wanned ap
plause, addrelffd the company. He need not allure the
company of his warm feelings towards them for that alVliim
they had provided f;r the orphans of those brave men who
had fallen in the ’a;e cpnteft; unfortunately for him too
mSmy were in the lid of his acared friends. [Here fir
Sydney’s feelings were too great for utterance, his head
funk, the big tear rolled down the hero’s cheek.] A fo
temn liltnce prevailed for ffveral minutes, and loft fym
pathv filled, many a manly boloir, until fir Sydney was
routed by the thunder of applause which followed. He
again addrefled the company, dated, that it was his inten
tion to hand the governors a iid of those fufferers; among
them was his intimate friend capt. Miller of the Theseus;
they had served together as mkUhipmen under lord Rodney.
Capt. Miller ]os his life oiF Acre, and had left two child
ren.’ The next was major Oldfield, of the marines. He
would tell the company where the dead body of this brave
man Was contended for, and they would judge where and
Jiow he died; it was in a sortie of the garrison of St. John
d’Acre, when attacked bv* gen. Bonaparte, that major
.Oldfield, who commanded the sortie, was miffing; on our
troops advancing his body was found at the mou:h of one
of The enemy’s mines, and at the foot of their works; our
fcravfc mn hocked him by the neckcloth, as he lay dead,
to draw him off- the enemy at the fame time pierced him
in the fide with a halbert, and each party struggled for the
body; the neckcloth gave way, and the enemy succeeded
in dragging to their works this btave man; and here he
muff do them that julfice which fiich gallant enemies are
fully entitled to, they next day buried the remains of ma
jor Oldfield with all the honors of War. This brave man
has left children.—*-Ih the lift alio is capt. Canes, late ffrft
lieutenant of the Tigre; he loft not his life in any of the
numerous actions in wliich he was engaged, but jn ctrrying
difpatchcs to “the IVfeditei’ra'nean of the preliminaries of
peact; he perished at sea, with his ftiip and crew. This
brave officer has left young orphans who want support. Sir
Sydney.concluded a moft affecting address thus, “ That
the orphans and offspring of the many others who have so
nobly fought and died in their king and country’s service
may meet support equal to their claims is the warmCft wilh
of my heart.” <•-”
The colle&itons of the day Were *317!. 10s.
July ‘6. 1 lie emperor of Russia (who travelled Under
the title of the compte de Ruffie) was met at fome diifance
from Memel by his Prtiffiafi majefly, when the latter, who
was on horseback, came to the imperial carriage, he alight
ed, and the emperOr at the fame time getting out of hft;
carriage, the two royal personages saluted each other.
The emperor then mounted one of his Proflian majfcfty’s
horses, and the two lfionafitlis rode together into thelcity,
followed by their retinue, likewise on horseback. When
they reached the house of the merchant Lorck, at which
their Pro Iff an majesties reside, the queen of Pruflia Came
out to meet her illustrious visitor, and lurprifed him with
an embrace, and his imperial majesty prefffd heT hand so
his lips. After dinner his imperial majesty proceeded to
his residence, which is in the house of merchant Glagau,
in Linden-street. The proprietor of this house receives
200 rubles per day. The price of prpvifion in that city
has risen to an enormous height.
By the Dutch mail on Saturday we received the follow*
ing account of the death of a remarkable literary chara&er:
“ The 24th died here, mr. Irhoven van Dam, late fc
cretary of the council of American pofieffions, and one
who may be ranked among the greatest literary men of
Europe. His exterior figure diftinguilhed him from all
other men; he was finall of figure, Ihort of body, high
breasted, very hump backed, his head reclining downvvards,
his nose extremely long, his mouth one of the widest, and
his eyes penetrating; and this lingular machine was sup
ported by two laths instead of legs. Such was the habit
ation of a foul which was too great for its confined limits.
“ He spoke almost all the living languages as fluently
as his mother tongue. He was also drilled in the Greek,
Hebrew, and Latin languages, as well as in several of the
fcienccs. In all that had relation to the belles lettres he
excelled, and in Which he would have been famous through
out Europe, and obtained, an immortal name, if the pen
had not been devoted to politics. He palled the latter
part of his life as a niiferable martyr, either in political
disputes, or tlie compolition of dry spiritless papers relat
ing to the affairs of the Weft Indies. He was great in
forming plans, but unsteady in carrying them into execu
tion; continual changeableness was his chief failing, by
which means he did not Jong poffels. the fame friends.
Statesmen enticed and employed him to draw up composi
tions of importance, many of whom have cdt a figure at
the expence of his labors. However considerable his ser
vices in this way, he seems to have been mostly paid with
promises, tor his means were always scanty, although his
wants were few; in Ihort, his affluence never disturbed his
repose,”
Whitehall, Julv 6.
The king has been pleated to constitute and appoint the
right hon. Robert, (commonly called vifeount Caftlereagh)
his grace William Henry Cavendish, duke of Portland,
knights of the moft noble order of tlie garter; the right
hon. Robert Banks Jenkilbn, (commonly called lord
Hawkelbury) the right hon. Robert baron Hobart, and
the right hon. Thomas baron Pelham, his m a jelly’s three
principal secretaries of state; the right hon. Henry’Adding
ton, chancellor of his majesty’s exchequer; his grace James
duke of Montrofe, knight of the moft ancient order of the
thistle; the right hon, Sylveffer baron Gfcnbervie, of that
part of his majesty’s united kingdom called Ireland; the
right hon. William Dundas; the right hon. Thomas Wal*
lace; the right hon. Charles John baron Arden, of that
part Os his majesty’s united kingdom called Ireland; and
Edward Golding, efq. to be his majesty’s coimnillioners
for the management of the affairs of India.
July 12- A Jew in the neighborhood of Bonn, in
Germany, has lately emerged from the moft abjedt state
of poverty to the moft unbounded affluence. He kept a
miserable public house, which was principally frequented
by Jew pedlars; he had 22 children, of whom only 8 are
alive; one day, in cbnffquence of a diffute he had with
one of his lons, he said to him in a pafiion, “ Go to the
place where pepper comes from.” The boy nnderftood the
words literally, artd immediately embarked for the Indies.
He was not heard of for many years, but intelligence .was
lately received that he had died in the East, prflefied of a
fortune of near a million fterfing, and had left his father
heir to his-whole property.
COURT OF KING’S BENCH, July
Clark v. Vaughan.
The plaintiff is a proprietor of a chip?, and glass shop;
the defi ndant a lady of great fortune residing in Manches
ter sqnarc, and occasionally giving superb fetes and galas.
The present adion was brought for so small a sum as
51. 9s. which the plaintiff cliarged for the hire of dishes
and glasses for the defendant’s last gala. Mrs. Vaughan
considered the charge exorbitant, and offered 4 1. 6d. the
difference then, which was but 235. formed the ground of
the present action.
Mr. Garrow, on the part of the plaintiff, commented
with great liveliness and humor on the prevailing rage for
fetes and galas; he said his instru iff ions upon this occasibn
had led him into a secret he never knew before, that those
things were not attended with quite so great an expence as
he had hitherto imagined; lie had been informed by his
brief that a most superb gala could be given withotit any
uncommon stock of dishes and glasses, but that every
thing which covers the table, or glitters on the side-board,
may be hired by the night for'little or nothing; he was
himself so edified with this information that, although jp
therto he had not figured much in the splendid walks If i
fashion, he had now serious intentions of giving a pal°
himself some days after the sittings, that-should not k
terfere with the circuits. He should how point out to the
jury some items in this account, which he was convinced
they would judge so* very reasonable that, if they chose to
give galas, and wanted to hire t!* necessary articles, the*
wobld give a preference to his client. ‘
. licms -, £■ /. and.
1 o 300 wine glasses, 0 14 g
l*o 200 comforters, © 84
What those comforters were he could not precisely n
pound; he had not a fashionable didionary in his **
but he verily believed they were the same articles wh? h
the vulgar called dram glasses. He then stated that
the charge for 80 rummers was only 6s. Bd. His* state
ment was liere corroded by mr. Jervis, who was also t
the plaintiff, and observed that it was but 3s. 4 d. M
Garrow thanked mr. Jervis, who was just returned from
the eledion at Yarmouth, and must know what were the
expences of a gala; he was then continuing in a strain
pleasant irony, when 1
Mr. Erskine, on tlie part of the defendant, observed
that, however the court might be amused by the witt!
observations of his learned friend, it was clear that this
matter would be best adjusted by a reference.
Mr. Gaitow immediately acquiesced, and it was referred
to mr. Lowtou.
I BOSTON, Augujl 30.
MFORTATION of cotton into England, from i|
January to the 6th July, 1802, viz. 40,202 packajL
tiom tne United States, 38,187 do. from other parts.
1 be votes for continuing Bonaparte in the firftconfu!.
lnip ior life have been generally returned, and a great pro.
portion of them with the addition that Kb have the privi
lege of naming his fucceflor.
Middletown, (Confießicut) Augujl 21. On Wed.
nelday last, abotot 8 o’clock in the evening, capt. Moses
Dickmfon and wife, of Wethersfield, parilh of Rock]
Utlh, were drowned in attempting to come alhorefrom a
vefiel in the river, oppolite Middletown. They were part
of a large company going to Long Iffand. The circum*
stances of the disaster are said to be these: Capt. Dlckinfon
stepped into a finall boat, and was receiving his wife into
his arms from the vessel, when the motion of the boat, or
the weight of mrs. Dickinson, made him totter and fall
into the Yiver with her, and they both immediately funk.
Only one person was on deck and fpeftator of the feene,
the rest of the company all being below at supper. la.
formation was immediately given to the company, and to
the people on ll.ore, and every exertion made to afford
relief, but the body of capt. Dickinson was not found un
til he had been in tlie water about two hours, and all ef
forts to find mrs. J)ic kin foil proved ineffedlual until Satur
day morning, when Hie was found floating down the river,
about two miles befow the city, by fome people who were
coming up in a boat. We are informed that they were
febout 70 years of age, arid have left two children to la
ment their untimely fate.
AW Tork, Augujl 26. A French main of war brig
arrived at Kingston the 28th ult. from Alligator Pond, to
request affifiance for the French frigate La Cocarde, on
Ihore there.
The French frigate La Ifomaiire, having on board 50#
negroes, put into Port Royal for water and provisions,
wish which she was abundantly fopplied; Ihe and the above
brig then failed, accompanied bv two Britilb frigates, to
effort them fome distance from the iffand. The Kingston
papers fay that their visit to that iflandl was rather myfte>
ious, and their motives were thought to be not of a friend
ly nature.
We are credibly informed that several of the negroes
brought by the French frigates from St. Domingo have
been leeii lurking about on the Jersey fhofe; that one ‘
at a mr. Cornelius Hayler’s, another at Michael Teaser’s,
and a third at Henry Day v s, about 7 miles from Hoboke.
Suppose the whole of them, consisting, as we have heard,
of more than a thousand, should be landed in this manner,
with all their diseases about them?
Augujl 17* The French frigate La Romaine, of 44
guns, having oh board between 4 and 500 negroes, lia!
arrived at the quarantine ground. This is the frigate
mentioned in yesterday's gazette as having been at PorV
Royal, Jamaica, where she got a supply of provisions.
We learn that ftie was refufed admittance into the port of
Domitiiqde.
hancajler, September 1. On the night of Saturday
last two sons of Frederick Spar, in Chester county, the
eideft about 9 years of agey were killed by lightning. I h ree
children were sleeping in a bed near the chimney, down
which, it appeared, the electric fluid had defeended, as it
was somewhat Ihattered. Immediately after the m°c*
mrs. Spar, who slept in another apartment, ran to the moW
in which her children lay. She found two on the wes 0
the bed entirely llfeleS. The one in the middle
j bed had fome symptoms of reiiiainirig life, and being car
ried into the open air soon recovered, having received
Fttle inhiry. Mr. Spar himfelf was rendered infenfibk
for fome minutes. . ■ ;
Norfolk , September 7* .
Extract of & tetter front St. Bartholomew's to 0 g cnt *
man in this town, dated the 14 tb Aaguf
u My Taft letter of 36th July, and forwarded via “"■
ladelphia, contained a proclamation refpe&ing the, niw*
management of the negroes at Guadaloupe; since yi
another proclamation has been publilhed, which re rf c .
to the emigrants their property. The owners or
lands formed out by the government are to look to t
tenants for the receipt of the rents. The property t* .
poffpflion of by the government is also to be restored to
former owners. . t j
“ By one of the articles it is declared the French
knew no emigrants* Tt is expe£ted the fame will be
in all the French Weft Indies. * hii£
“ Gen. Lacrofle has been reinstated in his a PP ol! l
of captain general of Guadaloupe; thedignity ot the
government rendered this adtneceffary, otlierwife^c
have been fubjedl to perpetual confufion. s
“ On the general’s landing at Baffeterrc there